Surviving and Thriving in Times of Uncertainty

These are challenging times. Our material foundations are crumbling. So are our moral, educational, and spiritual ones as well.

Sure, some are holding on for dear life, trying to keep afloat the old order. But it’s getting harder and harder for them to do that.

The situation is causing many to feel anxious about the future. In fact, that future is now for a lot of people.

Jobs are gone or at risk. They’re behind in their rent or house payments. Bank accounts are depleted. Credit is choking them and creditors are clamoring to be paid. Even those who still have assets are feeling the pinch as their retirement savings and other investments have gone in the tank, sometimes even threatening to disappear altogether.

And they left to wonder, “What will happen to us?”

Once upon a time I was good at coming up with solutions to problems like these. I could see the way out and suggest things that might get them there.

I still know and see these things. The problem is, they don’t seem to work any more.

A New Game

Things have changed. It’s harder and harder to make a buck. People are scared, and holding onto what little money they’ve got.

Starting a business may still be possible, but it’s more important than ever to pick your spots carefully. Because that road to break even may take a lot longer than before, and your ability to raise the funds necessary to carry you and grow could be impaired by the current climate.

It’s all because the rules in this game of life we’re playing have changed. Uncertainty reigns.

While prosperity may be the ultimate objective, survival is now the order of the day. The challenge for us all is to figure out what we have to get by, and learn to live as well as we can within whatever the situation brings.

So before we learn to walk or even run to escape the problems that are developing all around us, maybe we need to just sit down in the midst of it and take a breath.

Yes, that’s right. Just plop yourself down where you are and take stock.

Sure, the wolves are beating on the door. But that doesn’t mean we should get all riled up over the possibility they’ll break it down and we’ll be invited to supper — as the entre!

Heck, we can only die once. But the way things are, we’re dying a death of a thousand cuts, little by little every day. Is it really necessary to do that?

Is this what our lives are to be about, killing ourselves moment by moment thinking about all the negative consequences that could happen while clutching for straws to find a way out that never appears?

Yet, even if the worst we can image does come to pass, life will go on. Maybe not the way we want it to. But somehow we’ll find a way to survive, no matter what happens.

So why keep dying a thousand deaths waiting for whatever is going to happen?

What Can We Do?

All we can do is just keep doing our best to meet whatever each moment brings. Maybe it won’t turn out the way we want it to. But it will turn out the way we need it to for the evolution of our souls. Our job is to find the value, appreciate it, and then move on.

The question for us all is how will we do that? What is the quality of the experiences we’ll allow ourselves to have along the way?

Will it be more struggle and suffering in the midst of the outer chaos? Or will we look for ways to remain at peace in spite of all the ruckus going on out there, even when it threatens to huff and puff and blow our houses down?

I don’t pretend it will easy. Nor that it will be very comfortable. But I suspect you’ve been through hard times before. They’ve passed. And with time, these will, too.

Like any loss, it will hurt as the life you’ve worked so hard to build is ripped apart. In fact, your insides may feel like they’re being torn out by the roots.

But once you’ve been in it a while, you’ll realize that those emotional upsets don’t do a darn thing to make the situation any better. In fact, they make it considerably worse, causing you to act in ways that really don’t reflect who you are at your core.

Understanding uncertainty can help, particularly knowing that these situations are allowing you to see deep-seated fears of losing things you can’t take with you anyway when you leave this world. These fears are based on attachments to things and beliefs that don’t necessarily serve you so well.

So while you’re sitting there, just realize your fear is triggering these responses. That fear is the reason they’re happening. So you can see it and let it go.

How? Look for the attachments it’s wanting you to see. Try to cut their emotional strings.

You don’t have to be a monk or live in the street, but be prepared to be as fluid as you can. Don’t crash up against the obstacles in your life. Begin trying to flow like water around them.

The only way to do this is to find your peace. Go to the place of silence inside. Listen. Ask to be shown the way. And you will be.

Living in peace is the ultimate act of love for yourself. And love is the key to moving forward into a new world for yourself and for us all.

Once you find your peace, new possibilities will begin to reveal themselves, empowering you to set off on a new course to build a life that truly serves you — and the world.

The life you save will be your own. Try it today.

Go with love. I am

john

Related reading:

John is a recovering lawyer, spiritual teacher and sepsis survivor. He speaks for peace through knowing yourself and changing your world. His book, "Whispers in the Silence - Living by the Light of Your Soul," is a guide to listen to your inner voice.

John offers a free report, "5 Minutes That Can Change Your World," at http://bit.ly/1QwNenb, and provides coaching and guidance to awakening souls.

John is a recovering lawyer, spiritual teacher and sepsis survivor. He speaks for peace through knowing yourself and changing your world. His book, "Whispers in the Silence - Living by the Light of Your Soul," is a guide to listen to your inner voice.
John offers a free report, "5 Minutes That Can Change Your World," at http://bit.ly/1QwNenb, and provides coaching and guidance to awakening souls.